


keep your eyes on the road

by jjhs



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: ;), Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Heartbreak, M/M, Road Trips, Slow Burn, basically johnjae road trip enemies to friends to lovers au, but all of that comes later, ish, mature scenes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-02 10:37:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20274541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjhs/pseuds/jjhs
Summary: jung jaehyun is in desperate need of a ride to get to his second cousin’s (twice removed) wedding after his car breaks down in the middle of fucking nowhere, and the only person in his contacts who picks up is johnny seo, his mortal enemy.but, road trips bring lots of surprises (and heartbreaks, apparently).





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> johnjae roadtrip fic lets go.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jaehyun needs a ride. johnny has a car.

“This is not something anyone can teach you. Heartbreak you must learn on your own.”

一 Chelsey Philpot, _Even in Paradise_

☼

it’s not everyday you wake up and realize _oh fucking shit, the wedding is in six days and it takes around five days to get there_. exactly. you don’t wake up and realize that ever. except when you’re jaehyun, who stretches and climbs out of bed, before receiving a text from his second cousin twice removed asking if he’s on the road.

jaehyun almost throws up. he quickly realizes, he needs to leave today. and, today as in now.

he’s thankful that he had half a mind yesterday to pack his shit. he doesn’t know what the fuck happened and how he forgot to set an alarm, but of fucking course he did.

it’s about 9 a.m., and he groans. he barely spends five minutes in the shower, brushing his teeth, and completing his extensive skincare routine. he throws on sweatpants and a t-shirt, not caring what he looks like, and packs his luggage. 

he’s goddamn lucky he’s on summer break because this trip is taking a shit ton of his time. he grabs his phone, charger, and laptop and throws it all into a backpack rather carelessly. 

he takes a look around his apartment, looking like it’s practically deserted as jaehyun packed all his clothes _just in case_. he bites his lip, knowing he’s probably forgetting something but not having time to think about what all he needs.

he tosses all his luggage into the trunk of his car and climbs into the driver’s seat. he’s leaving his house at 9:30 a.m., and he realizes that he’s in for a hell of a time on the road alone.

☼

jaehyun is about an hour into his drive when his car starts making _noises_. noises he isn’t particularly fond of. noises that make him wonder what in the fuck is going on.

his car isn’t new, but not old, and in perfectly fine shape if you ask him. (though, if you ask taeyong it’s a death trap.)

he groans and pulls over when it starts to sound worse. he’s in the middle of nowhere, or well, what he thinks is the middle of nowhere because he barely knows the street names in his city let alone anything outside of it.

he pops the hood and gets out, looking at his engine like he has any idea what could possibly be going on. after about ten minutes of just staring aimlessly, he decides his car is good enough. 

and, ten minutes into his drive the hood is smoking.

he sinks to the ground, asphalt hot on his ass and tells himself not to cry. it’s fine. everything is absolutely _FINE_.

he picks up his phone and scrolls through his contacts. how unlucky for him that all his friends are on a vacation with each other that he couldn’t go on because of this stupid, cursed wedding. his parents are already there helping with set up. and, the rest of his contacts are just school acquaintances or family members that are either at the wedding or not able to go.

well. except for one.

_johnny seo._

jaehyun groans loudly, throwing his head back against his car door.

no way. no fucking way will he call johnny. his life has not hit rock bottom yet. he cannot and will not call johnny of all goddamn people.

johnny and his annoying ass laugh and his annoying face and annoying hair and annoying muscles and annoying body and annoying smile.

no. no. no.

twelve minutes pass.

“what do you want?” johnny is obviously uninterested in what jaehyun has to say, though he hasn’t said a word.

“nice to hear from you too,” jaehyun snarks, already regretting his decision.

“you called me.” johnny is silent for a moment. “can you tell me what you want? i’m busy.”

jaehyun sighs heavily, knowing that this is not going to work out. “okay, listen. don’t interrupt me. canyoupleasepickmeupanddrivemetoaweddingalmostveryfarawayyoucanbemyplusoneandi’llbuygasandotherstuff.”

silence. “what? say that again because i’m not sure i understood that right.” 

“can you please pick me up and drive me to a wedding almost very far away. you can be my plus one and i’ll buy gas and other stuff.” jaehyun’s voice is meek and small, trembling almost.

“jaehyun,” johnny starts but quickly stops. “y-“

silence.

“you want me to pick you up and take you to a wedding very far away?”

“yes?”

“we hate each other…”

“yes?”

more silence. 

“where are you?” johnny finally asks.

“about an hour outside of the city. on the side of the road. my car broke down.” jaehyun is close to crying again, and johnny can obviously tell because he tries to comfort the other in the best way possible (aka, not good).

“well, don’t cry, bitch. where are you going?”

“california.”

“jesus christ! that’s like, forty-eight hours away! did you not think about, i don’t know, flying?”

“i’m poor!”

“gas costs a lot of money, idiot.”

“i also have a lot of luggage.”

“you’re so high maintenance.”

“can you come and get me or not? i need a ride like, soon. i’m scared sitting here alone.”

“it’s like 10:30 a.m., nobody is going to rob you.”

“i’m pretty, what if they want to stick it up my hole.”

“oh for fucks sake, i’ll be there in thirty minutes or less.” johnny curses into his phone and jaehyun hears a horn. “i hope you know, i still dislike you a lot.”

“you don’t hate me?” jaehyun says, voice sweet, “that’s so nice of you!”

“i take it back, i hate you.” 

jaehyun says goodbye and hangs up, deciding that’s a good place to end the conversation, considering that’s how most of their conversations end anyway.

he is contemplating his entire life when johnny calls him.

“hi,” jaehyun greets, deciding that they will be spending a lot of time together in a car and they should get used to being somewhat civilized.

“i think i see your car,” johnny says and jaehyun stands up, seeing a black svu slowing down and pulling over. “yeah. that’s you.”

the line goes dead.

johnny parks and gets out, inspecting jaehyun. “nobody stuck it up your hole, right?”

“shut up,” jaehyun grumbles, an unintentional pout on his lips. 

“did you call a tow truck?” johnny asks, sitting his ass on the hood of his car.

jaehyun’s eyes go wide. “was i supposed to?”

johnny facepalms. “oh, god jaehyun. we’re going to be stuck here for at least another hour until someone can come tow your car!”

jaehyun definitely whimpers, not meaning to. “i’m sorry! i thought we could just leave it here.”

“not if you want it back!”

“it’s broken! why would i want it back!”

johnny looks at him. “jaehyun, i have known you for almost twelve years now and that is the stupidest thing i’ve ever heard you say.” 

jaehyun sighs. “okay, i’ll call a tow truck or something.”

“i’ll do it,” johnny rolls his eyes. “just put your shit in my car and get inside. i wouldn’t want someone to come and stick something up your hole.”

jaehyun flushes red but follows johnny’s directions. he’s utterly humiliated that he even said that. “god, why do i even speak to you.”

johnny just shrugs, phone to his ear.

jaehyun quickly puts all of his bags in johnny’s trunk, which happens to only have three of four duffles full. johnny must’ve been in a rush. 

jaehyun smiles.

he slams the trunk shut and stands next to johnny, who is nodding his head and saying “yes” and “no” occasionally. finally, he hangs up and looks at jaehyun.

“it’s going to take an hour.”

jaehyun groans. “fucking shit.”

“maybe next time don’t drive a defective car.”

“it’s not my fault my car is on crack!”

“i cannot spend five days with you in a car. i’ll kill myself. literally, drive us off a cliff.”

“well, you can’t take it back, so.” jaehyun grins, and johnny has half a mind to slap him senseless. he doesn’t.

“i guess i can’t.”

“i think you’ll grow to like me,” jaehyun offers like it's any condolence for johnny’s impending suffering whatsoever.

“maybe i’ll grow to tolerate you. that’s a big maybe.”

“good enough for me! considering you’re also going to have to drive us back…”

jaehyun grins sheepishly when johnny’s mouth falls open.

“i knew i should’ve ignored your call.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope u enjoy.
> 
> \- liv <3
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/flirtmarkno)
> 
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/marknohyuck)


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jaehyun drives johnny mad. this time explains why.

“i have to pee.”

“jaehyun, we stopped an hour ago so you could piss,” johnny grits out, grip tightening on the wheel. driving is fine, being next to jaehyun is not.

“i’m sorry, i drank coffee.” jaehyun _is_ actually sorry considering he is horribly high maintenance. 

johnny sighs, rubbing his head with his right hand, left hand on the steering wheel as they cruise. “there will probably be a gas station after the next exit. maybe twenty minutes. can you hold it that long or do i need to pull over so you can piss on the side of the road.”

jaehyun grimaces. “no. i can hold it.”

ten minutes later, jaehyun is whining about having to pee and johnny is more than tempted to drive them off the road into a ditch.

“jaehyun, you said you could hold it.”

“that’s because i refuse to pee on the side of the road!”

“you’re just a prude,” johnny snaps, stepping on the gas because as much as he hates jung jaehyun, he kind of sort of hates seeing him in misery even more (and jaehyun looks fucking miserable trying not to piss himself in johnny’s car).

they pull into a run-down gas station after five minutes and jaehyun sprints to the restrooms while johnny stops to fill the car with gas. he sighs watching the amount of money go up. this is proving to be an increasingly expensive impromptu trip, and they’ve been on the road for maybe four hours. 

all johnny knows is that they’re somewhere in the middle of pennsylvania and they have many, many more states to go. he locks the car when he’s done pumping gas and locks the car, walking into the gas station to find some snacks.

he finds jaehyun standing in front of the soda.

“fuck no,” johnny says, flicking the back of jaehyun’s head. “you are not getting another drink.”

“bu-”

“we’re not going to make it out of pennslyvania at this rate let alone to san diego, you stupid bitch. we are not stopping again until midnight.” johnny grabs a diet coke and jaehyun scoffs.

“hey, that’s not fair! this is my road trip!”

“well, it’s my fucking sanity, so. unless you want me to swerve off the road because you have to pee in an hour, you’ll drink the water you brought with you.”

jaehyun pouts and johnny is almost tempted to give in, but he manages to hold his ground and jaehyun caves. “fine.”

“you are such a brat,” johnny mumbles, rubbing his eyes and grabbing a thing of twinkies and a bag of chips. jaehyun shrugs his shoulders, not denying the fact, and decides on some “puppy chow,” as he calls it. 

johnny hates that he finds it oddly endearing and almost cute. he gags at the thought of jaehyun being remotely cute. jaehyun is annoying and irritating and _annoying_, but certainly not cute. nowhere near cute. 

johnny pays at the register, despites jaehyun’s protests. 

the cashier looks at them oddly when they both shove money at her. jaehyun finally relents and lets johnny pick up the slack.

the next two hours are filled with jaehyun’s shitty pop music playing from johnny’s stereo as he drives down the highway a little too fast. they don’t say much and johnny is thankful that he gets a break from fighting with jaehyun. 

around the three hour mark, jaehyun turns off his music and looks at johnny’s side profile. he looks good, jawline shar--oh my fucking god, what is his brain saying? he shudders.

“did you just have a seizure?” johnny asks, literally no emotion in his voice.

jaehyun shakes his head. “no, you idiot, i’m fucking freezing in here.” 

this is a true fact. johnny keeps his car at negative thirty degrees. “don’t you have a sweatshirt?”

“i forgot it,” jaehyun mumbles, cheeks turning pink.

“you’ve got to be kidding me? a sweatshirt? really jaehyun? how do you forget a jacket of all things?”

“i had to remember to bring my six-step skincare routine! but, i had to multiply it all by like twenty because i’m going to be gone so long.”

“oh, for fucks sake. there’s so much wrong with this.” johnny scratches the corner of his eye, hesitating slightly before sighing. “i have a sweatshirt in the backseat.”

“does it have cum on it?” jaehyun suddenly asks after have grabbed it and pulled it over his head.

johnny almost hits the brake pedal. “n-no! why the fuck? jaehyun, what the fuck?”

“well, how am i supposed to know? a sweatshirt just chilling in the backseat of your car is suspicious!”

“it’s suspicious that i’m prepared for the worst? i’m sorry i like being prepared.”

“that seems like you were trying to shade me.”

“i was, but you’re so dense you can’t even tell. i’ll just say it to your face, you’re a fucking mess.” 

“that’s mean,” jaehyun bites his bottom lip. “i’m trying my hardest.”

johnny is quiet for a moment before letting out a small, “yeah, you are.”

the silence between them almost becomes too much. they don’t know how to do this, do quiet or nice. they’ve been feuding with each other for a long time, since jaehyun moved to the suburbs of new jersey his freshman year of high school. he’s going into his sophomore year of college in less than two months. 

“we’ve been enemies for like, six years,” jaehyun says out of nowhere. 

johnny raises his eyebrows. “you’re just as annoying as you were when you were a freshman.”

“you were just a mean junior,” jaehyun pouts, bottom lip juts out and johnny gets so distracted by the pinkness that he nearly drives over the yellow line. 

“you deserved it.”

“no, i didn’t!”

“jaehyun, you tried to fuck my brother, you deserved all the bullying.”

“i-i didn’t know he was your brother at the time! also, reminder, he was about to become your step-brother, and i was new! no one told me that. that was also sophomore year. freshman year i didn’t do anything.”

“bro, you literally tried to blow sicheng in a walmart parking lot, you deserved it.”

“sophomore year, again!” jaehyun’s cheeks are crimson red. he can’t believe he fucking tried to give johnny’s step brother a blow job...in a walmart parking lot. not that sicheng didn’t want it, he most certainly did, but his mother who knocked on the van window with a cart full of groceries as jaehyun was unzipping sicheng’s pants definitely did not want it. “freshman year you just hated me.”

“no, freshman year you tried to kiss doyoung.”

“well, he was a sophomore my freshman year. plenty of sophomores and freshmen date.”

“i was dating him!” johnny hits the horn with his hand, causing jaehyun to scream. “oops, i forgot that was there.”

“hold on…” jaehyun narrows his eyes. “you dated doyoung? you like dick? wait- what?”

“for a little bit, yeah,” johnny sighs. “maybe a couple months. also, i’m pan you goddamn idiot.”

“sorry i didn’t know you enjoyed dick! it’s not like you ever tell me anything about yourself.” jaehyun purses his lips and takes a sip of water.

“hi, jaehyun,” johnny says, voice dripping with sarcasm, “i’m johnny seo! i love fucking guys and i’m a senior in college. i love bagels and i hate driving. was that good enough?”

“fuck off,” jaehyun groans. he thinks for a moment. “so, how many guys have you had sex with?”

johnny deadpans. “are you seriously asking me that question.”

“yes?” jaehyun says as though he doesn’t know why he shouldn’t be asking.

“y-you can’t--i-” johnny tries to find the right words but he ends up just saying, “four-ish.”

“ish?” jaehyun looks at him curiously. “also, four? damn. also...what does -ish me.”

“well the fifth person i think we fucked, but i can’t really remember because i was drunk off my ass. but i woke up naked next to them, and they were also naked, so i’m not sure. i left before they could talk to me. so, i’m not sure if they count.”

jaehyun takes a moment to ponder on the question. “i guess they can if they want...maybe you should ask them.”

“ask them if we fucked even though it happened, like, freshman year of college?”

“sure.” jaehyun shrugs.

“jaehyun do you know how fucking idiotic you sound?” johnny can’t deal with jaehyun’s sheer stupidity anymore. the sun is going to set in just a couple more hours and they’ll have to stop at a motel soon. johnny doesn’t think he’ll be able to be in the same room as jaehyun without strangling him.

“i can’t believe you’ve slept with four-ish people.” jaehyun genuinely sounds shocked.

“gee, thanks, for the self-confidence boost.”

“n-no! i don’t mean it like that. obviously you’re hot and stuff, totally fuckable, i just thought you didn’t...like…”

“didn’t what?”

for some reason, jaehyun is bright red and johnny is more than curious as to what he has to say. “tell me.”

“no, it’s stupid.”

“jaehyun, i’ll pull over and tickle you.”

“no, you won’t you pussy.” jaehyun’s voice shakes from the insinuation johnny makes when he moves over into the right lane, closer to the edge of the road. 

“wanna bet?” johnny turns on his blinker and starts to slow down. jaehyun finally caves just as johnny hits thirty miles an hour.

“ok! fine!” jaehyun groans and johnny hits the gas. “i just thought you didn’t do fuckbuddies and like one-time things and stuff, i don’t know. like, i thought you just fuck people you’re in a serious relationship with or soemthing.”

“sometimes i do,” johnny shrugs before really realizing what jaehyun said. “wait, jaehyun...are you saying that because...i-i never tried to fuck you?”

jaehyun is quiet, but his crimson red cheeks are a telltale giveaway. 

“y-” nothing leaves johnny’s mouth but random noises. “i-”

they drive like that for ten minutes. in complete silence as they both come to terms with what jaehyun had implied.

“i’d fuck you, you know,” johnny finally says, but he regrets it the second it leaves his mouth. “no-well...i-that didn’t come out as i rehearsed in my head.”

“oh.”

“i mean, like, you’re not unfuckable or anything. like, i’m sure you’ve gone to bed with many people...well...i mean, not many...but...like a lot? or well-”

“none,” jaehyun finally says, cheeks even redder if that is even possible. “none. i haven’t...i haven’t had sex without anyone.”

johnny is back to being speechless. 

“yeah. i’m a virgin. not that people haven’t...tried...but, i-i don’t know i thought it should be special or something...not in a van at walmart or a closet in a frat. i don’t know it seems dumb...like...i-”

“no,” johnny interrupts. “that’s fine...good even. my first time with this girl...i didn’t even know her. it was weird. good and fun...you know, but it’s just, i’m not judging you.”

“thanks,” jaehyun smiles, dimples on full display. “i appreciate it. i don’t want to wait until marriage or like, i don’t know. but, i just want it to be with someone i trust?”

“that’s good,” johnny says before yawning. “it should be with someone you trust.”

jaehyun looks at johnny for a moment and the older can’t read the energy. usually, he knows what a look means, but this time he has no idea. he lets jaehyun look at him without bullying him for it. 

“do you trust me?” johnny suddenly asks and jaehyun is confused, but decides to answer.

“sort of. yeah.”

“okay,” johnny pockets jaehyun’s answer for later. “good. i am driving you across the country. i’d hate for you to not trust me.”

jaehyun shrugs. “i do trust you. even though you bullied me for years.”

“okay, first of all, if you keep saying i bullied you, you’re going to give people the wrong impression. i didn’t physically bully you, i just teased you. and secondly, i trust you too.”

jaehyun smiles and his dimples are so fucking charming. “i’m tired.” 

the sun is setting in front of them, but they still have miles left to go. 

“can you find a hotel for us to stay at?” johnny asks, even more tired than jaehyun. “i’m about to fall asleep.”

jaehyun does something out of character for him and doesn’t fight johnny on it. “i can drive, if you want.”

“it’s okay,” johnny murmurs. “i don’t trust you to drive at all, let alone in the dark. maybe tomorrow.”

jaehyun nods his head. he looks at johnny and he suddenly feels the urge to touch him. he does, putting his hand on johnny’s thigh and squeezing. “thank you for saving me. i know we fight a lot and we drive each other crazy and i tried to fuck your brother and your boyfriend, but i’m grateful you’ve decided to drive with me to san diego.”

“you are very welcome.”

jaehyun doesn’t move his hand and johnny doesn’t encourage him to do so.

six minutes later, “oh my fucking god, are you getting a boner right now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe so uhm this story doubled in size so...yeah. it might be longer or shorter. it depends. hope you enjoy.
> 
> leave a comment/kudos.
> 
> liv <3
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/flirtmarkno)
> 
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/marknohyuck)

**Author's Note:**

> please leave a kudos/comment if you enjoyed. it really does mean the entire world to me. 
> 
> \- liv


End file.
